Nnedi Okorafor‘s ‘Who Fears Death’ for US TV network HBO

Nnedi Okorafor‘s Who Fears Death is set to be adapted for the small screen on US TV network HBO.

Who Fears Death is a novel with science fiction and fantasy elements by Nnedi Okorafor, published in 2010 by DAW, an imprint of Penguin Books and highly regarded in the African literary scene. It also got some traction internationally winning the Carl Brandon Kindred Award “for an outstanding work of speculative fiction dealing with race and ethnicity.” In the next year it would win the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for 2011.

The book was set to join the many ranks of African novels to go to the big screen like Half of a Yellow Sun by the Queen C and Beast of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala. This was not to be as it has been optioned by HBO to be turned into a television series, with George R.R. Martin attached as executive producer.

George R.R Martin is an American novelist and short-story writer in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, screenwriter, and television producer. He is famous for his god awful TV series Beauty And The Beastthe only contribution to us being the excellent bad guy Stephen McHattie.

Who Fears Death will be the most important project that George R.R Martin will be working on having initially worked on a little known show called Game of Thronesfor US internet start-up Netflix. Hopefully this new project will give the struggling American writer a shot in the arm in his fledgling career as a TV producer.

So what was Nnedi’s reaction to the announcement of the new development? It was modest which we have to say was quite disconcerting from someone with Nigerian blood flowing through their veins. No “We T’ank God!” No. “Chai!” Nothing. Here is the full statement’

“I’m finally free to announce this: My World Fantasy Award winning novel WHO FEARS DEATH has been optioned by HBO and is now in early development as a TV series with George R. R. Martin as executive producer. ✨ Note: This did not happen overnight. It’s been nearly 4 years coming. — feeling fabulous.”

So what was the reaction from the world? It was mainly quite positive with many people lauding the writer for her helping a US TV network build their international audience. Not all have been excited as was exhibited by the low energy Vice magazine, pathetic ratings, with its announcement of the new development. They decided to remove the name of the author from the tweet about the story and this was where Nnedi’s Nigerian blood finally became a factor with this response to their shenanigans.

Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew. 😒. They don’t even know details. https://t.co/HacaZKMRQi